OK, my Solar dilemma... converter on one end of rig..

[bigcitypopo]

and my Batteries are on the tongue...

Should I wire directly to the batteries, or pull a new run of cable from the converter to the tounge?

my fridge vent is on the center of the rig... more or less?

Im really looking hard at the Go power extreme kit

[pianotuna]

Hi Mena,

That's a good point on appliance efficiency. I've often wondered why the heck Dometic made the microwave such a high draw appliance. It isn't even a microwave convection oven.

I also have not considered start up surge--so the air cutting in while running the microwave may not be a working situation. I think with the water heater I should be "ok", but time will tell.

Does anyone have real life wattages on their air or water heater?

All in all, I'm still pleased to have purchased a 3k unit rather than a 2 k.

[mena661]

PT, most people don't have that super low power AC unit you do nor do they run their water heaters on electric so most won't be able to run two large items at once.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Having gone through the decision making process, one reason I chose the 3000 watt Magnum was because it offers blended power from shore and battery bank at the same time.

While a 2000 watt would run any single device in my RV I did wish to run two large items at once. For example the water heater (1200 W) and roof air (1200 W), or microwave (1591 W).

I don't believe in running electronic devices flat out--so 3000 watts gives me a lot more cushion than 2000 watts.

[bigcitypopo]

hmmmm, good to know...

I've been laying out a diagram for the wiring all day...

[mena661]

Looks like the kit is ~$3700 on Amazon (ships from Boat and RV). The inverter is about $1000 itself. Complete, for sure, but like mentioned, you can get individual components for less. Also, evaluate whether or not you really need a 3000W inverter. 2000W will run microwaves, convection ovens, Keurig's and pretty much everything else. You won't be able to run two big ticket items at once even with 3000W. If you just need to run TV's, charge laptops and phones, 300W works just fine. I have a Go Power 300W and runs two TV's with surround sound on one of them, laptops, phones, tablets, Ipod with music all at the same time. It will run at its rated 30 amps all day.

[time2roll]

You will have 4+ batteries to drive that 3000w inverter, yes?
That inverter also needs to be close to the battery connected with 4/0 minimum wire. Then you need ro pull #10 romex to the distribution panel where you will have the transfer switch and new converter.
I think you may still need a combiner box for the three panels to feed parallel to the controller.

Honestly I would shop for individual components as needed. GoPower does make great stuff but these kits rarely match what is really needed.

[NinerBikes]

If you are running a couple of gc-2 6v batteries on the tongue, that's around 225 Amp hours. If you can fit a couple of Trojan T1275's on the front of the tongue, at 82 #'s each, now you are looking at 300 Ah.

I just don't have any idea what you can run for watts, inverter wise off of that kind of amperage. Not much. Maybe a sat dish and TV, and a laptop and a coffee maker, versus using the stove and French Press coffee?

While I will be running at most a couple of T1275's, I keep my usage down to about 30 maybe 40 or 50 amp hours. 120 to 160 watts of portable panel works satisfactorily for me, spring through fall.

I have to supplement with a honda generator and a Progressive Dynamics 9245 with Charge Wizard in Bulk charge mode for an hour in the morning in January, when the day light is short and the sun is low on the horizon.

What do you need a 3000 watt inverter for on a travel trailer? Size of the batteries on the tongue of the trailer will /could be the limiting factor.

[BFL13]

That Go power kit has a lot of expensive stuff in it, which is fine if you need it all but if you don't and can get the parts you do need elsewhere for less, then you have a choice.

The starting point is how big of a battery bank do you intend? You need a big bank to run a 3000w inverter loaded up. What will you run with a 3000w PSW inverter you can't run with a 2000w one?

How much of a charger will you need for recharging the size of bank you need to run that 3000w inverter? The kit has a PowerMax 75 amper (PF corrected so it runs on a 15a circuit---do you need a second converter?) Can your generator supply the input 120v to run the size of charger you need?

Maybe you want a decent inverter/charger instead and then just get some solar.

Anyway it is all about having enough battery to go with that battery-hungry kit. If you are restricted to a smaller battery bank on the tongue, then you can't get full use from that expensive big kit.

400 plus watts of array might justify going to 24v panels and MPPT-depends on what is on sale, etc.

Wiring it all up is simple enough. You use a buss for the positives that go to the battery by one fat wire from the buss and all your negatives go to another buss. That neg buss can be the shunt for the Trimetric monitor, where all go to the outer end and the inner end goes to the battery neg with another single fat wire.

[wa8yxm]

I would say shortest run to batteries that is reasonable.

Why they put the converters as far from teh batteries as possible.. I do not know,, but that is how they built my MH as well. Makes absolutely NO sense.

[bigcitypopo]

Yes, that's the kit...

If I mount the controller in the pass thru next to the batts. The run from the controller is no issue...

The monitor(s) inverter tie in and all that are the debacle...

[time2roll]

Keep the controller close to the battery for best results.

+1 for SolarBLVD.com

If you want guidance on choosing components.... give some additional info on what you expect from solar.

Is this the kit? http://gpelectric.com/products/solar-extreme

[hmknightnc]

Use as short a run of wire as possible from the solar controller to the batteries. For a TT this generally means mounting the controller in the front pass through then battery wires down through floor and up to battery box. Your TT converter location is not important to the solar system (they are seperate systems that both charge the baterry(s).

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Kit's are not usually a bargain. Solar should be wired to the battery, not to the converter.

[mena661]

Wire direct to batteries. Since you're in SoCal, go over to Norco and visit Solarblvd and/or visit their website.